The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-12
UP IN a BALLOON.
Two Cincinnati Aeronauts Who Will
be Famous.
From the Cincinnati TilReS-Stdr,

| From the Cincinnati Ti,ReS-Stdr,
! Charley Williams and Harry Young are
two aeronauts of whom Cincinnati may be
| proud. Sober, clear headed, gentlemanly
young follows, they have had extraordinary
success as slzyscrapers and in all their nu-
merous voyages through the air have not
once sustained an injury. This is remark
able record.
At II 80 o'clock on Fourth of July night,
| Mr.. Williams made an ascent, which was
the first of the kind ever made. He and
his partner, Mr.. Young, have hot-air bal
loon seventy-fve feet high and fifty feet
greatest diameter At Coney Island, on
the night of the Fourth, Mr.. Williams made
an ascent in this balloon, taking a great
quantity of fireworks and red lights with
him, which were touched off as he passed
cent sight, and not only enter
tanned the on-lookers at the Island, but
startled the farmers of the country
who were much surprised to see rockets,
candles, and all that set off up in the clouds.
The balloon passed over in the neighbor
hood of Turkey Bottom and descended in a
rye field, and if the wrathful owner of the
rye reads this it will be his first information
as to the cause of the tornado-tossed aspect
| of his field
Mr.. Williams was asked to-day if he did
not sometimes get scared when above the
clouds with frail balloon his only support.
Said he:
Il never become frightened, nor do I
think that many people do. If you were to
60 up with me you would not for a moment
feel dizzy as you would if looking down
from some high building. The most beauti-
full view in this world Is obtained from the
basket of balloon. Looking straight down
the earth seems as fiat as, a board with
thousand variations of color made by the
woods and the fields. High hills and their
intervening valleys all seem to be on level,
and it is only by looking off toward the
horizon that any difference Of height can
be noticed. Up TO a distance of a mile
or so from the earth sounds can be distin-
guished readily, but on ascending to greater
attitudes not sound can be heard. One is
in part Of the universe then where every
condition is different from anything he has
ever before experienced. The air Is rarl-
fed and produces a peculiar sensation, a
sort of exhilaration, and a feeling of abso-
lutte Independence comes over one. He
feels that he is the absolute monarch of all
he surveys; that there is none his
right to dispute. At last he has got
away from the restrictions of terrestrial
life and is in region where freedom to do
anything is unquestionable. The part of
the body that is exposed to the sun gets very
hot, while the other side is cold. Turn the
palm Of the hand to the sun, and whileit will
literally burn the back will literally freeze,
and the silence is almost oppressive. There
is not another living being near, not even
bird. Butterflies have been found three
miles above the earth, but nothing else. To
be up in balloon for distance of two or
three miles is worth little risk"
| Mr.. Williams says that these big, black,
cumulus clouds that take possession Of the
sky and darken the earth look even more
SUBSTANTIAL when approached than they do
when viewed from the ground. When fifty
feet away from them they seem so solid
that one is almost tempted to step out of the
basket and take a stroll along its smooth,
dark surface. He said:
"Their thickness varies from few hun
dred to 5000 feet, and in going through
them the light of the sun is obscured, so
that when in the midst of a very thick
cumulus it is quite impossible to see any
thing. The moisture too, is dlSagreeable. "
You read about that reporter who as
cended 2, 200 feet in ballon and, holding to
parachute, jumped out and descended to
the earth in safety"
eyes, l read about him." replied Mr.
Williams, land l think he showed poor
Judgment to jump out of the balloon until
he had his parachute OPEN"
''You are not making any parachute de-
scents yourself, l supposeF
Il would if called upon. do not think
there is any particular danger in descending
in a parachute provided it is properly con-
structed and that the descent is started prop
erly | think it necessary to have para
chute from 20 to % feet in diameter 1t is
of the general shape of an umbrella, you
know, and should be made of heavy cloth
with cores narrowing upward and ribbed at
the seams with heavy cords, which are to be
continued down and fastened to the basket.
Care must be taken not to get too much or
too little curve to the top. If | ever make
parachute for my own use l shall, as
an extra precaution, put a ring 10 feet
j. in diameter between the cords con-
Meeting the top with the basket and that
will make sure of the top opening
out when make the descent You see the
parachute is attached to the basket of the
balloon, and i'll the ascent it is closed up by
the force of the air. That reporter out
West had narrow escape, for his para
chute did not open until he had gone down
200 feet OF more. The only proper way to
prepare for descent in a parachute is to
have some one go up with you in gas bal
loon and then when up 200 or 800 feet,
pull the valve cord of the balloon and let it
down quickly, so as to cause the initiation of
the parachute then have your partner in
the balloon cut the connecting rope and let
you down. The safety all lies i'll getting
started right. If you don't start right,
you're gone, for there is no half way station
at which to stop and make repairs"